Siobhan, The goddess' handmaiden

10. Ancient wisdom

“Don’t just stand there!” Ereshkigal scoffs. “You wanted to see what’s up here. And you claim you can read hieroglyphics. So, come on.”

“But the scrolls are delicate,” Siobhan protests.

“Not that much. The library exists outside of the space and time continuum. The papyrus is perfectly preserved. It’s basically like new,” the goddess tells her.

“Magic,” Siobhan smiles. She takes a step forward and carefully lifts one of the scrolls. The string is perfect, the papyrus is not brittle at all, and it unravels in her arm on the first try. “Oh, it's beautiful handwriting. It’s not just scribbling, the details are amazing. Instructions on how to make a moisturiser. The ingredients are listed in the order you add them in, but not the quantity.”

“If I get you the ingredients, could you make it?” Ereshkigal asks.

“With some trial and error, perhaps. Nothing is poisonous, so it all comes down to getting the right density. Too much oil wouldn’t harm you, it just wouldn't seep into the skin completely,” Siobhan answers. She never mixed her own creams and lotions, but her mother did.

“It’s settled then. I’ll get you everything you might need,” Ereshkigal’s eyes shine with excitement. The goddess has just found a new hobby, but it’s Siobhan who has to do all the work. Recreating Cleopatra’s skin care products sounds exciting. It also serves to take her mind off of other things.

“I need a notebook and a pen. The scrolls aren’t leaving the library, and we’re not cooking in here,” Siobhan looks at the goddess. “The instructions are elaborate. I have to guess the quantity, so I want to have the order of things written clearly.”

“That’s doable,” Ereshkigal nods. The goddess snaps her fingers and a new black notebook appears, along with a gilded fountain pen.

“Thank you. Do you need a list of ingredients?” Siobhan inquires.

“Go over a few scrolls first. Getting things is a tedious task. I have to send someone to the human realm for this. I’d like to get everything we might need in one run,” Ereshkigal tells her.

Siobhan browses the section to find more of Cleopatra’s creams and lotions. The dive into a great mind takes her hours. She dutifully copies the instructions to her new notebook. Finding quantities in any of the scrolls would be too much to wish for. Cleopatra might have written the process down, but she kept the most important part to herself. It will be a lot of work to make the creams. Some ingredients are hard to find even in the modern day. It won’t be just a trip to a Cairo market. Maybe a visit to a more obscure shop is in order.

Now she wonders who does the goddess’ shopping? Will she send Nakir or one of the demons? Who can she trust to just shop for the things they will need and not cause any damage in the human realm? Well, that’s Ereshkigal’s worry, not hers. Siobhan makes the list of the things and goes over it twice. She will need a kitchen for this, but what qualifies for a kitchen here is totally inadequate. She can’t make the lotions in a bloody butcher’s room. The place needs to be clean, and preferably demon free. Siobhan doesn’t like others looking over her shoulder or under her feet when she works. She might have to put up with Ereshkigal, because frankly, nobody in their right mind can say no to the goddess.

Siobhan gets back to her room really late. She knows the goddess is asleep at this time, and she feels a bit tired after the day. The secrets of the library are some of the most incredible she has ever heard. The honour of touching the lost treasures of Alexandria is out of this world. Literally. She is revelling in the things she has learned today, but at the same time, she knows the good mood will not last forever. Ereshkigal is fickle and unpredictable, her mood swings come and go without warning. One moment she is angry as hell, and the next she acts as if they are best friends. It’s not something Siobhan can get used to, but she’ll have to be very careful around the goddess. She can’t afford to forget her place when Ereshkigal is nice, it will only be worse when the bad mood strikes her.

Going over her notes once again assures her that she didn’t miss anything. Ereshkigal’s words echo through her mind. It was a veiled warning hidden inside an ordinary conversation. Siobhan makes the list, but how to specify quantity? Some herbs are hard to come by and some are ordinary, like chamomile. But safran oil is not sold on just any market. That will take some research and careful thought. Thinking back to her youth and her mother’s cream and lotions making days, she tries to gauge quantities. Hopefully, it will be enough. She never paid much attention to what her mother was doing. Being a witch was always a second choice for her. History was much more interesting.

Then her older sister died in an accident and Siobhan had to step up and become the guardian. As the high priestess of the Wiccan order she only led the community and a few ceremonies over the year. Everyone else did the other stuff. She was leading a comfortable life that she managed to ruin on the first encounter with Nakir. The dark angel’s beauty and powers drew her in. She was a lost cause after that. Her coven never found out. Patrick even helped her to cover up the truth. She lived more than half of her life in a lie. Whatever punishment Ereshkigal comes up with, she has deserved it. Even this servitude to the goddess has nothing on the pain she feels every time she lays her eyes on Nakir. That one spark, one night they had together, doesn’t want to die. She longs for him, even now that he hardly speaks to her.

“Siobhan!” The goddess calls for her. She’s right outside of her door.

“Yes?” Siobhan answers. Her dress is all messy and crumbled up, and she’s clutching the notebook like a shield in front of her.

“Come. I have something for you,” Ereshkigal turns. She’s not waiting for her. The goddess walks away in full confidence that Siobhan will follow. Just a short distance down the hallways, she stops. The door is nothing special to look at, but the room it opens into is.

“Oh!” Siobhan exclaims. “How?”

“I’m a goddess. It wasn’t special. I asked Nakir how a proper laboratory should look like. I guess his answer is correct?” Ereshkigal shrugs.

The laboratory is amazing. A proper chemistry laboratory, coupled with everything a pharmacy should have. A wet dream for every amateur herbalist. And the place is bright. No doom and gloom in here. The lamps are gas, as are the burners. It makes sense because there is no electricity in Irkalla. This will make her job so much easier.

“It looks amazing,” Siobhan smiles. Her eyes wander around the shiny countertops and all glass cupboards.

“I bet Cleopatra didn’t have something like this,” Ereshkigal chuckles. “Do you have the list?”

“Yes. I’m not completely sure on the quantities,” she answers.

“Don’t worry about it. I know Naryshka can get everything,” Ereshkigal nods. “Just put an estimate and I’ll tell her to double it.”

“Anything else?” Siobhan inquires.

“Nah. Get some rest, you’ve got bags under your eyes,” the goddess sounds affectionate for some unknown reason. It’s not good to question her, though. Siobhan courtesies lightly and leaves the list on the counter before she slips out of the laboratory. How can she rest now? She’s excited. The adrenaline will wear off in an hour or so. Maybe rest is not so wrong after all?